Topics I've Started

I searched the forum for a general cocktail thread and didn't see one. Maybe I missed it, but I started playing more and more with mixing drinks and I know there are some creative people on this here site. Let's see your cocktails! I know I've had a few good spicy cocktails, but I don't really want to limit this thread to just spicy stuff because I want to see them ALL. Share a recipe, a pic, a suggestion! I posted this in the meatless thread I usually post in, but thought some of you meat eaters who disregard that thread might be more into cocktails and mixed drinks, so this is a repost from friday, but I'm spending today mixing up more!

Blackberry bourbon cocktail:

Its muddled blackberries, mint, and meyer lemons, with bourbon and simple syrup. Shaken with ice, strained (for the blackberry seeds) and garnished with mint!

There are quite a few THP members from Chicago, and with a city so big, and so diverse, we've all got to have our favorite spots. There's almost any kind of food you can imagine located somewhere in this city. In a city that serves hot peppers on their hot dogs religiously, there are some pretty great places for a good spiced up, sit down meal too. So, what are you favorite places for Mexican, Indian, Nigerian? Who has the best salsa? Hottest dish you've had? Best wings? What place has shocked you with spice?

I'll start the thread by suggesting a trip to Fat Rice, named one of the best new restaurants in the US in 2013. It's a Macanese place, a mix of Portugese and Asian cooking mostly, but then they have Piri Piri Chicken and Indian-ish curries. They make a sauce with bhuts in it that was pretty tasty, nothing that will melt your face off too bad though. I don't know how much has changed since I was there last year, but it was definitely good eats. You can find lots of heat on the menu.

I kept seeing the ads on the forums for SFRB and couldn't wait any longer to pick one up. I chose to grab a box from Sm1nts2escape because it seemed like a good variety and I try to pick up at least 1 box from someone I've never ordered from at least once a season. Commication was great and I got my peppers within a few days. Box was crammed full of all sorts of spicy goodness

I should have posted this a few days ago but things have been crazy as usual. Some pods are already missing but this is what I have left of the haul I was sent last week. Every pepper arrived edible, one or two were starting to get soft so I just ate them right away. But man, some of those pods are GINORMOUS! I've been putting them in grilled cheese sammiches (try it if you don't already).

Check out this pod, it was almost as big as Yuki's tennis ball... I am kind of afraid of it...

So if you see an ad in the forum for these pods don't be shy! Great stuff here!